Into A New World
by ForeverReading24
Summary: She was just a normal girl until something inexplicable happened to her. One moment she was dying, the next she was in a world she thought only existed in TV. Now, will she be able to adapt to her new life?
1. Chapter 1

Update:

Thank you everyone for the reviews! I really appreciate them :)

Guest: You're right. Damon isn't a good person at all. I was trying to go with the 'fangirl gets into her favorite series' and stuff... guess that didn't work out too well for you. I was going to have Madeline's views change on him entirely and face reality; however, I wasn't happy with the ending of the first chapter and decided to rewrite it.

Most of the chapter are still the same except for the ending. Also, I divided the chapter into two since it's too long in my opinion and I prefer to upload shorter chapters since it's easier for me to write around 3,000 words instead of 11,000.

Thank you to those who have read the story and I hope you guys like what I did with it :)

By the way, if anyone has the time to be a BETA for this story, let me know.

* * *

'Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it'

Charles R. Swindoll

I wasn't supposed to be alive — I knew that — but for some reason I was.

I had died, that I remember quite clearly. There was no way I could ever forget the sound of my bones breaking or the hot white blinding pain; the car impacting against my body, sending it flying a few feet in the air before making contact with the hard, paved road that had my skin and blood now staining it; my mother screaming my sister's and my name at the top of her lungs. The pain had been unbearable; more than enough to make me lose consciousness right then and there, but I had to know if my sister was alright, that nothing had happened to her. Though, no matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn't focus, only blotches of black and white were visible. How had the day turned out so bad? The three of us had only wanted to get some last-minute things for Christmas dinner. We had gotten everything we needed, miraculously since by the twenty-four most ingredients to make the turkey were close to impossible to find; however, we wouldn't be going home to continue the meal.

My sister had been on her phone, texting, when it happened. Practically out of nowhere, a speeding car rounded the corner, the driver swerving left and right, unable to go in a straight line. At first, I thought we were all out of the way, but another look sent my heart into overdrive, dread and panic chilling by body to its very core. My sister had wandered to the middle of the road we had to cross to get back to the house, eyes still glued to her phone so she didn't notice the lone car that was driving towards her.

Without thinking and her name caught in my throat, I did the only thing I could: I ran straight to her, pushing her out of the way. As I laid on the cold, hard ground in a puddle of my own blood the only coherent thought the fleetingly passed my mind before my insides had started to burn was 'At least this isn't a Final Destination kind of death'. It was a good way to go, actually, knowing my life had protected my loved one's, though I regretted the pain I would cause my family; wherever my soul ended up —be it heaven, hell, or limbo — I would always remember them...

Who was I kidding? I hadn't wanted to die. There had been so much I still wanted to do, to experience, places I wanted to visit. I would never see my sister with her first boyfriend (even though she was already seventeen, she was still single. What can I say? She had been a character), I would never graduate from college (it didn't matter that I didn't know exactly what I wanted to study right now, I would've figured it out eventually), I would never get to sit with my parents at the dining room table and talk for hours with them.

Something wet slid down the sides of my face, blurring the blotches in my vision, the white spots darkening more and more until there was nothing but absolute blackness. Silence prevailed in the abyss I now found myself in. It was eerie, scarier than when I was a little girl afraid of the monster hiding inside my closet or under my bed. My parents had comforted me then; now, I was completely alone.

Time didn't seem to have any meaning here as it was always dark, making it impossible to determine how many minutes, hours, or days had passed since the accident. One thing was for sure though, it was boring. There was nothing to do, nothing to see and, to make matters worse, I couldn't move. Maybe this was my own personal hell, I thought, a place so dark not even a spec of light could cut through.

Or so I thought.

It started slow, so slow I didn't even notice the difference at first, but could, after some time, discern a glow in the distance beaconing me like the light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't know for how long I waited there unable to explore; however, it seemed as though every time I closed my eyes and blinked them back open the glow would be stronger, closer. It became all I could focus on, chasing away the freezing cold, warming my immobile soul. It became my own personal ray of hope, hope that there was something more outside of this prison; nevertheless, there was still a small voice in the back of my mind whispering it could be nothing good. The wait was nerve-wracking.

Soon enough, the darkness disappeared, completely consumed by the light that now enveloped me. My eyes slid shut on their own accord, unable to continue looking into the brightness. The next time I opened them, though, left me wondering if I could return to the dark. It took my eyes a few blinks to focus and, once they did, I was left starring up at a white ceiling. It wasn't the worst thing I could've woken up to and I was beyond exhilarated that I made it alive out of the accident. Nevertheless, I was exhausted. My mind felt hazy, my eyes heavier by the second, closing on their own accord.

There was someone in the room with me the next time I woke up; nevertheless, a tube was stuck in my mouth, hindering my ability to move my neck and looking at the person who was keeping me company. I wanted so bad to rip it off and walk out of the room. More than anything, I wanted to cry and throw myself at my parents and sister, to tell them that I was alright and hadn't died; however, my body wouldn't allow it. It felt heavy, the muscles protesting even the smallest of movements though I wasn't in any pain, thankfully.

As if making sure, she wasn't seeing things, the nurse rubbed her wide eyes with the heel of her palms. Once she decided that I was indeed awake, she wasted no time calling for a doctor, looking over my vital signs as we waited. The doctor ordered a multitude of tests to be done to me as soon as he double checked my vitals. It wasn't that I was complaining since they took the tube out and allowed me to breathe on my own.

The first thing I did when I was able to move my neck, was take inventory of my body. To my utter surprise, I wasn't covered in bandages and casts; that wasn't normal, right? Unless I already healed. Dread pooled in the pit of my stomach at the thought. For that to happen would mean that I spent a long time sleeping, just how much of my life did I lose because of the accident? Probably a good couple of months if the ivory skin that I usually kept sun-kissed was any indication, plus the amount of broken bones I had suffered needed the time to fully heal, as well as any other kind of trauma I suffered (would you look at that? I knew watching those few episodes of Grey's Anatomy would come in handy).

Another thing that took me pleasantly by surprise, was the fact that there were no visible scars on the exposed skin of my arms, which rested by my sides on top of the hospital sheet that covered the rest of me; it gave me hope that maybe I wasn't disfigured during the accident—

"I will inform your family you have woken up, Ms. Gilbert, before we take you to get a CAT scan," The doctor told me gently.

Nodding in acceptance, I prepared for them to move me when the words registered in my medicated brain, making the machine go from a steady _beep-beep-beep_ to an erratic _beepbeepbeepbeep_ that had them putting me back into a deep sleep no matter how hard I fought it.

I wasn't sure how much time it had passed since they had sedated me, but the sun was still high in the sky outside of the window, though my hair told me at least a day had passed; it felt dirty. However, I soon noticed the guy sleeping on one of the chairs by the bed. He had spiked up brown hair and a handsome face that reminded me of Steven R. McQueen, he was wearing a black hoodie over a black band shirt, dark jeans, and converse shoes. A part of me wanted to let him continue to sleep — the kid looked like he needed it, especially because of the prominent purple half-circles under his eyes and the paleness of his complexion —, but the other part wanted —needed— answers.

Whatever I had been expecting, I had not been prepared for him to start crying and hugging me like his life depended on it... and I let him, hugging him back even though he was a complete stranger to me; there was something about him that made me want to protect and make him feel better. After he was able to control himself, he told me about everything I had missed in the months I had been in a comma. Months! The kid, 'Jeremy' he had introduced himself teary eyed when I asked his name, told me what I missed since the accident. 'Our' parents died after the car fell off Wickery Bridge, the only survivors were Elena— my 'older twin sister' and I.

A nurse had to come in, telling my 'brother' he had to leave, and sedate me again after my brain caught up with what exactly Jeremy was saying. I wasn't home anymore. I wasn't even in the same dimension. Somehow, someway, I had fallen into the Vampire Diaries, which was supposed to be only a tv show, not even real! Could I even get back to my own dimension? No, probably not. At least, not if I had died on the other side, 'That's probably what happened' was my last thought before I knew no more.

The next time I woke up, I spent all five minutes I had before being put under again grieving for the family I lost. For my mom, dad, sister, and friends, even for the life I had had.

Jeremy came back the next day, bringing with him 'my' diary and some pictures of 'my' friends, family, and me. The good part was that I looked exactly the same as in my other life: caramel hair that fell in waves to the middle of my back, dark blue eyes, heart shaped face, svelte figure from years of exercise with curves in the right places.

I couldn't see how people thought Elena and I were twins; we looked nothing alike — okay, maybe we looked similar enough (though she was taller than me at five foot six, while I barely reached five foot four inches), but seriously. The bad part, was that I wasn't supposed to exist in the Vampire Diaries. There wasn't a girl in the TV show with my name (that I remembered) and Miranda and Grayson Gilbert certainly did not have a daughter before having their one and only son. It didn't make any sense for me to be here. However, the pictures with the people who could only be Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett, Caroline Forbes, Tyler Lockwood, Matt Donovan left me with no choice other than accept that this was now my reality.

It was later that day that Elena and 'Aunt' Jenna came by to visit and they really did look like the actresses they were played by, no wonder my new 'sister' had boys falling for her left and right. Like Jeremy, the two of them started crying when they saw me, Elena continuously asked for forgiveness, saying it was all her fault 'our' parents were dead and that I 'lost' my memory since I told her not to go to the party and had only been in the car to accompany 'our' parents to pick her up. Also, she asked if I wanted to see Bonnie and Caroline, who had wanted to come visit me as soon as they heard I had woken up, as well as Matt and Tyler (who she couldn't understand how I could be friends with). I told her to tell them I was fine and thanks for worrying about me, but I couldn't see them today. Everything was still too much, too fresh. It was taking everything I had not to start crying again and demanding to see my real family. With the promise to visit again, the two of them left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

No matter how many times I pinched myself, the dream wouldn't stop; I wouldn't wake up. I really was in the Vampire Diaries tv show only three days away from the Pilot episode if the calendar was anything to go by. That meant there were only three days left before Elena Gilbert met Stefan Salvatore.

I hadn't watched every single episode, but I had read a lot of fanfiction on the subject and there were always recurring themes, such as the tomb vampires, Isobel, Mikael, Mason Lockwood, the moonstone, Elijah, Klaus, the rest of the Original family, Silas... Oh God, there was so much to do. There was no way I was going to be able to remember every single detail I had read about. Even then, the things that had happened might have been the author's imagination.

The next few hours, I spent them planning what to do, writing down, using a code my sister and I had invented when we were younger, everything I remembered happening in the show and in the fanfictions I read. Really, my next year of high school was going to be eventful.

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long for the doctor to let me go home, seeing as there was nothing wrong with me — they had done all the tests known to mankind to make sure I really was healthy and wouldn't have a relapse. After giving me the talk about if I felt dizzy or a headache or anything like that to come back to the ER, he finally let me go.

The house was exactly like it was in the show, two stories, white, with a porch that encompassed the whole front of it. My room was on the second floor, next to the bathroom and Elena's room. My new guardian left me there alone to acclimate to it. Not going to say I didn't like it, because I really did, though it was a surprise to find out this world's Madeline and I shared similar tastes, if not the same. The room walls were a soothing white color, a wooden nightstand stood next to the full bed that had a white duvet, dark and light pillows, and a wooden Victorian-styled headboard, a desk that looked out the window, a vanity that sat in front of the bed, a dark bookcase that contained some of my favorite books, and let's not forget the window seat that had a small computer table next to it, ready to be used. It wasn't home... but it could be.

Tired from all of this, only taking the time to take my shoes off and get under the duvet, I fell asleep, not worrying about what the future was going to bring.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BE—

Ugh, no matter how many lives I lived, I was always going to hate alarms.

Groaning, I lethargically made my way out of the comfort and warmth of my bed. It was the first day of class, meaning the only day I would be going to school early, the rest of the days would be a race against time. At least, that was the way I was when I started college.

Five days had passed since I first woke up in this world. Days filled with constant supervision from one of my new family members in case I needed immediate medical attention; if I wasn't with Aunt Jenna, I was with Elena. On very rare occasions was I allowed to spend time alone with Jeremy. I knew why, but I didn't find it fair of them to threat the kid like that. Those days were spent with them 're-introducing' me to the life I used to have, to the friends I should know and everything in between.

It got to be a bit boring and repetitive after the first couple of days and felt like they were trying to brainwash me, though I knew they only wanted their sibling back, so I went along with it, learning their likes, dislikes, and overall personalities. Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and even Tyler came to visit me and I got to know them too, though my little brother clearly had a problem when he came back home and found the future werewolf sitting in his living room like he owned the place. It had not been pretty; Elena and I had to separate them before they started throwing punches. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a repeat of that anytime soon, but I knew for a fact they would be all over each other soon and was not looking forward to that.

Something that I was looking forward to, now that school was starting, was the fact that I would be left alone for longer periods of time; I didn't mind at all that I would have to send Jenna a message every few hours telling her I was still alright since it meant I could do whatever I wanted without taking an escort with me.

Stretching, I went to the bathroom and took a shower, after which I blow-dried my hair and brushed my teeth before returning to my room to get dressed. There were a lot of outfits I could choose from, so I just decided to don black leggings, black ankle booties with a little bit of heel, a dark purple loose V-neck sweater, and a black bomber jacket. Satisfied with how I looked, I put on some makeup before going downstairs for breakfast.

More like coffee, though.

Jenna was already in the kitchen looking into the fridge with a lost look on her face.

"Hey, Aunt Jenna," I said, taking a cup from one of the cabinets and pouring some coffee.

"Hey, Maddie. What do you want for breakfast?" She asked, a slight quiver in her voice.

Shaking my head, I sipped the heavenly brew, leaning against the island, "I'm good, thanks."

That made her look skeptically at me, "Are you sure?"

Giving her an eye-roll, I answered, Yes, don't worry about it. Besides, don't you have a meeting to get to?"

She looked down at her watch and jumped, "Oh crap!"

I fought down a grin as I watched her gather her things before turning narrowed eyes on me.

Waving her concern away, I told her, "Don't worry, Aunt Jenna, we have everything and I'll make sure we get to school on time.

Satisfied with that, she rushed out, leaving the teenagers to fend for breakfast.

Done with my cup of coffee, I put it in the sink to wash when Elena came downstairs, followed by Jeremy after a few seconds.

"Did Aunt Jenna leave?" The oldest Gilbert asked with a frown, going straight for the coffee pot.

"Good morning to you too, Elena," I mumbled before clearing my throat to explain, "Yeah, she had a meeting to go to. Jem, you ready?" I asked, grabbing the car keys from the counter.

The kid in question gulped down the remainder of his drink, putting the empty cup in the sink, indicating he was and followed me out without saying goodbye to Elena.

Once in the car, I gave him a look, opening my mouth to let him know what I thought about his behavior towards the eldest sibling, but he cut me off.

"I know what you're going to say," Oh? I raised a brow at that, "I'm not ready to play nice with her, Mads. Because of her and her need to go to that stupid party our parents are dead and you almost died. You were in a coma for almost seven months and lost your memories! Even if you can forgive her so easily for that, I can't. Not yet." He said with finality, slumping more into his seat and crossing his arms over his chest, saying without words the case was closed, his hoodie obscuring his face.

... Well, the kid knew me too well if he could so easily guess what was on my mind.

There were a few seconds of silence as I contemplated what he said. In a matter of speaking, he was right to be angry that _our_ (I was making an effort to become a part of this family since I could never go back to my real one and they were all that I had now) parents died, but it wasn't Elena's fault, just some really bad luck. It was an accident for Christ's sake, but he wasn't seeing it that way and was angry at the world in general because it took the two people he loved most in the world. Jesus, sometimes I wished I had taken Psychology in college to have a better understanding of the kid's mind.

Letting out a long sigh, I looked at him from the corner of my eye, "Hey, Jer, you know I love you and am always here if you need someone to talk to. Heck, you can come to me even if you don't have anything to talk about." I added with a small laugh, hopping he would come out of the shell at least a bit. Though I wasn't an expert in guys, I used to have a younger sister and knew they always needed someone there for them even when they pushed everyone away. He didn't say anything, so I continued with my monologue, "I'm not telling you you should forgive her right now or anything like that, just— just don't isolate yourself and remember that, even though we might hurt each other, you can't give up on family, no matter how tempting they make it." Sorry Hermes, those words worked so well right now though.

Neither one of us said anything after that, so we just drove to the school in silence with just the music coming from the radio.

At school, we both went our separate ways, Jeremy to the smoker's corner and I to my locker, which was next to Elena's, who hadn't arrived yet. Opening it, I took the books that I needed, putting them in my backpack and closed it. According to my schedule, I had Trig, Art, Biology, U.S. History, P.E., Literature, and French. Definitely, I was not looking forward to either Trig, History, and Biology; Trig and Biology because I didn't like them and History because of Mr. Tanner. God, I really hoped I didn't have him as a teacher, but no-o, of course he would be and, to top it all, I was in the same period as Elena, Bonnie, and Matt, meaning Stefan would also be in the same class. At least it wouldn't be so boring, seeing as he would constantly put Tanner in his place, giving me something to look forward to if the guy was anything like he was in the show before Damon offed him.

People talked to me throughout the day and I tried to be friendly and open with them but, mostly, I was distracted with the thought of seeing Stefan. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't go after him or anything like that, he loved Elena and, later on, Caroline so he was off-limits and would only make a good friend and ally in my book; I was just curious about his looks and he certainly didn't disappoint. He really was handsome but wasn't my type. Too broody.

Thankfully, classes passed by quickly and, before I knew it, we were out of the place. Nothing abnormal happened to my greatest relief, then again, this was only the beginning, with nothing major happening until tomorrow? Yep, pretty sure tomorrow, during the Back to School Party, was when the 'animal' attack happened. Did I want that to change? I mean yeah but, at the same time, what exactly could I do to change it and how would it affect the things to come? Even though I didn't like Vicki at all, she was still Matt's sister and, like everyone, had her problems to deal with. No, I didn't like it that she had too much influence on Jeremy, but it wasn't my place to be the one to decide whether she lived or died…

Ugh, why did I have a conscience? I couldn't just let her to her fate and not try to change it. I was going to do it for Caroline anyway, so why not for Vicki as well? Save them the pain that was coming for them, curtesy of Damon.

Jeremy had gone to Mystic Grill and Elena was going to the cemetery, it was the perfect opportunity to get one of the things of the checklist marked as done. Pulling out my phone from my back pocket, I scrolled through my contacts until I found the one I was looking for and quickly dialed it.

"What's up?" Came the greeting from the other side.

"Hey, Ty, are you going home?" I asked, hoping that yes, he was.

"Yeah, why?" Yes!

"Just wondering if you wanted to play some video games before going to the Grill?" I said in my most innocent voice possible.

There was a chuckle, "Don't you mean you want to have a few beers before we go out?"

I made a face at that, "You said it, not me,"

There was a definite laugh this time, making a smile appear on my lips, "Sounds good, I'll leave the door unlocked,"

"Since when do you lock it? Thought you kept it open for any woman who caught your eye to waltz right in," I teased.

"Ha ha, very funny. You know they have to use the ladder by my window."

I burst out laughing, "Charming, really charming. And here I wondered why your poor mom complained about you," Thank you Madeline Gilbert for keeping a diary.

"Aw, Mads, you're just jealous 'cause you want to climb that ladder too,"

"Su-ure. Thanks, but no thanks, I prefer to stay germ free. Don't know what kind of decease I could catch if I went anywhere near it,"

"Hey! I keep it clean," He said, indignant.

I had to restrain the urge to laugh loudly, "If you say so. Still not touching it, though."

"Whatever," I could've sworn he was rolling his eyes when he said that, "Just get here already,"

"Sir, yes sir. See you soon, Ty," Cutting the line, I got into the car and drove out of the parking lot.

The Lockwood mansion was exactly that, a mansion. It was huge. Then again, Tyler's dad, Richard Lockwood, was the major so it stood to reason they would have the money to have such a house.

Getting out of the car, I bounded towards the front door, which was pulled open before I could even knock, revealing a smirking Tyler on the other side, making me raise a brow.

"You weren't waiting for me, were you" My tone dripping with sarcasm.

He chuckled, "Just come on in,"

Stepping aside, he let me into the house. I really liked the interior design of it; it was cozy, warm, modern, and stylish at the same time.

Tyler led us to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. Together, we stepped into the only one that was open. It wasn't necessarily messy, but it wasn't clean precisely; clothes were scattered over the oak desk and rolling chair. I raised an eyebrow at that, "Really, you couldn't even pick up your clothes? Is this how you welcome all your lady friends?"

He chuckled in response, "Don't worry, you're special."

Now I was the one that let out a snort, "Yeah, I feel the love,"

"Am I going to destroy you in Mario Kart or are you just going to criticize me?"

Plopping on the floor in front of the TV, I grabbed one of the controls for the GameCube and said, "Let's play."

Unceremoniously, he also dropped on his butt and took a control after turning on the game.

We played a few rounds, screaming at the TV as loud as we could to the point his mom, Carol, came in to see if something was happening, but she soon left with a smile after seeing everything was okay. So far, he was winning by, but I planned on beating him the next round, evening the scores if it didn't put me ahead of him. However, he paused the game and stood.

"I'm gonna go get a beer, you want one?"

I nodded, following him out of the room, "Sure, I'm just going to use the restroom first,"

"It's the last door on the left," He said, pointing at the direction before bounding down the stairs.

It was now or never.

Turning on my feet, I stalked as quietly as I could towards the room I had seen Damon and Caroline enter in the show, praying to God the box was there. The Founder's Ball wasn't until a couple of weeks, but I needed to get the talisman as soon as possible. If there was one thing I wasn't about to do was leave everything to chance; chance that on the day of the Ball I would be quicker than the vampire and get to the crystal before he did. Ha! what a laugh that would be.

However, what if the box wasn't there? I already had a plan in case that happened, but preferred not to use it, seeing as the last thing I wanted was to volunteer to help prepare the place for its many guests. It wasn't that I hated volunteering, I just didn't like to do it if it involved something so pointless and boring.

The room was dark, the light switched off; nevertheless, props and things for the display were already placed in their proper place. It gave me hope and, sure enough, the box was there. Thanking every single god out there, even Jashin from Naruto and Ryuk from Death Note, I opened it and the secret compartment and took the talisman out. It was exactly like it was supposed to be: a very pretty amber color. Putting it inside one of my boots since I didn't have any pockets and I left my jacket on his bed, I made my way back to Tyler's room, where we drank a couple of beers before Matt called him asking where he was, that it was past the time they agreed to meet at the Grill.


	2. Chapter 1-Second Part

It wasn't that far of a ride and, as I soon found out, the Grill had its own charm. It reminded me of the bar I used to go to with my friends in my other life. Spotting the blond sitting alone by one of the high tables, we made our way towards him.

"Hey Matthew, long time no see!" I greeted taking the chair across from him, smiling.

"Oh, hey Maddie, I didn't know you were coming," He said, surprised at my appearance.

"Yeah, she came by my house earlier and I smashed her in Mario Kart," Tyler chipped in his two cents, sitting beside me.

I scowled, "I was so close to winning that last race, but you had to cheat and get the freaking blue shell" God, I hated the thing.

Both guys laughed, "Though luck, Mads," Matt said, sipping his coke.

"You should've seen her face!" The future werewolf commented, his laugh attracting the attention of a few people around us, "She could have caught flies— Oh, hey Vicki,"

And just like that he went from comedian to his usual I'm-better-than-thou self. I was impressed, actually.

The girl, who was technically cheating on my friend with my brother, gave a small smile that quickly faded when she saw me, "Hey, what can I get you guys?"

"I'll have a coke, thanks." Just because I didn't like her didn't mean I wasn't going to use the education my parents had given me.

"I'll have one, too," Tyler said, who followed her retreating form, going as far as turning his head until I smacked his arm.

"What?" He complained, making me roll my eyes.

"Please, tell me you're not hooking up with my sister," The blond in front of us hoped out loud.

"I'm not hooking up with your sister," He repeated obligingly.

"You're such a dick,"

I sighed, looking around. Jeremy was over by the bar, where Vicki was getting our drinks; Caroline and Bonnie just came in, so it wouldn't be long until Elena arrived with Stefan in tow. Excusing myself from the table, I went to chat a bit with the girls.

"Hey Care, hey Bon, how's it going?"

"Oh, hey Mads," Caroline greeted enthusiastically, while Bonnie just smiled and said hi.

"What do you think about our new local hottie, _Stefan Salvatore_?" Caroline straight up asked.

I pretended to think about it, "He seems too broody for my taste,"

Both girls seemed offended at my response, "Are you kidding me?!" Caroline exclaimed, "What's not perfect about him? Even his brooding face is hot!"

 _Oh, girl, if only you knew,_ I thought amused. Well, technically, she was going to end up marrying him, so she was kind of right to start planning her wedding to him.

I shrugged, "I'll leave him to you. Look at it this way," I explained, maybe that way she would leave the topic alone, "less competition for you,"

She blinked, taken aback by the comment. Bonnie laughed, "She's right, you know," She told Caroline, "I think he has his eye on Elena, though. He kept staring at her all through History,"

That didn't deter the blond girl for even a second, "That just means I need to get his attention,"

"I'll be cheering for you," I offered with a smile, which she returned, happy that someone was on her side.

"Talking about cheering, are you going to coming back to practice?" Bonnie asked me, effectively changing the topic. I never loved her more than it that moment.

I scrunched my nose at that. Cheerleading was not something I had ever done before, but the Madeline from this universe must have since her —my now— body was toned from working out. Caroline, however, didn't give me time to respond, "Of course she is! You'll have to learn the new routines. Actually, I don't even know if you can. You'll need to learn everything from the beginning since you lost your memory,"

"Caroline!" Bonnie chastised, but it was too late. I don't think my eyes could be any wider or my mouth hanging any lower than it was. Jesus, I knew she was blunt and had no filter, but seriously, how insensitive did you have to be?

"Well," I started, "I don't think I'll be going back to the team. Like you said, Care, I don't remember how the routines go. Even if I did, it's not a priority for me anymore,"

"There you go, Caroline," Bonnie interjected, "Now you don't have to stress about her not being able to keep up,"

"I guess," Said the blond, a little dejected at the prospect of losing a team member.

"Why don't we go seat with the guys?" I asked, wanting to get out of there.

"Sure," Both girls followed me back to the table Matt and Tyler were still occupying.

"Hey, Caroline, want to play a game of pool?" Tyler offered as soon as we were standing near them.

"Sounds fun," Together, they left for the pool tables.

"So, how's Elena doing?" Matt wanted to know once we sat down.

I let Bonnie reply to that. Who better to answer that question? "Her mom and dad died. How do you think? She's putting on a good face, but it's only been four months,"

He didn't give up, though, "Has she said anything about me?" This time I heavily felt his blue eyes on me.

I put my hands up in surrender, "Don't look at me. I lost my memory, remember? She's not gonna go around telling me anything right now. She doesn't want me to get a relapse or something; feels like she wouldn't be helping me get better,"

He nodded understanding and turned back to Bonnie, "No, I'm not getting between the two of you. You pick up the phone and call her,"

"I feel weird calling her. She broke up with me,"

Bonnie opened her mouth to reply, but promptly closed it when her eyes landed on Elena, who just came in with the only known Salvatore so far.

"Guess they met outside," I offered, not wanting to hurt Matt's feelings too bad, though he would soon realize the vampire and doppelgänger had more going on between them than simple friendship— if that's even what he thought right now, which I doubted.

Matt just looked at them for a moment before standing and walking toward the soon-to-be couple.

"Awkward," I mumbled to the girl next to me in a singsong tone.

"Extremely," She agreed nodding her head, "At least Matt is taking it fine,"

I snorted, "You think? He was head-over-heals for Elena,"

She gave me a startled look, "Did you remember?"

With a slight shake of my head, I gave her an apologetic look, "I read my diary. It was written there," Which, funny enough, was true so I didn't have to lie about how I knew it.

"Oh," The excitement that had been clear on her face a few seconds ago fell.

"I'm sure I'll remember things. Eventually," I added, not wanting to give her false hope, "It's a good thing that I kept a diary or I would be even more lost than I already am," So much for not lying.

She nodded, "Yeah, I don't think Elena would have survived if you kept doubting her about being sisters,"

Thank God I hadn't been taking a sip of my drink at that moment, otherwise, it would've been all over the table. Matter of fact, I had to cough a few times, "Yeah," I chocked out, "I don't know either. Not to mention Jeremy,"

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, one corner of her lips pulled down, "If he is this bad, can you imagine how he would've been if he had lost you, too?"

Considering I wasn't even supposed to exist, he would've been the same as now, "Not good," I said instead.

At that moment, Elena decided to join us, accompanied by Stefan, "Hey! Bonnie, Madeline, this is Stefan Salvatore,"

"Hey," I greeted with a small smile, still unsure about the guy. Yes, he was a martyr, but he still needed to prove himself to me as a possible boyfriend for my 'twin'.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Bonnie, this is Maddie," Our witch friend clarified to him, a wide smile showing her white teeth plastered on her face.

"Or Mads," I added.

He gave us a slight smile as he sat down next to Elena, "Nice to meet you both, too,"

It didn't take long for Caroline to join our table after the two newcomers got their drinks.

"So, you were born in Mystic Falls?" Was the starting question of the Inquisition.

"Mm-hmm," Stefan acknowledge, continuously stealing glances at Elena, who hadn't taken her eyes off of him, "And I moved when I was still young,"

"Parents?" This time, it was Bonnie who wanted to know.

"My parents passed away," He replied before gluing his green gaze on my sister, who just said, "I'm sorry," The vampire nodded his acceptance of the sentiment.

"Any siblings?" She asked.

"None that I talk to," Was his answer. I resisted the urge to laugh. That was an understatement, though Damon wasn't that bad; the older brother just needed to turn his emotions back on. "I— I live with my uncle," Stefan explained.

"Well," I said as I stood, drawing everyone's attention to me, "on that note, I'm gonna go back home. Pretty tired," Was my excuse.

"So soon?" Elena asked, a frown marring her features.

"Yeah, not used to being out so late anymore," I joked, but she just gave me a sad look.

"Wait!" Caroline stopped me in the middle of putting on my jacket, "You're new, Stefan, but we have the back to school party tomorrow. I expect to see you there, Madeline,"

I gave her an exasperated sigh, "Of course I'll be there," Yeah, no way was I missing it.

"Are you going?" The eternal teenager asked Elena; however, it was Bonnie who answered for her, "Of course she is,"

My 'twin' just smiled.

"Okay, now that we're all on the same page, see you guys tomorrow. Elena, see you later," And with a military salute, I was out of there.

Saying goodnight to Aunt Jenna, who was in the living room watching TV, I went up to my room. Making sure no stray, bigger than normal crows were around, I pulled my blinds closed and went to my closet. To be honest, I didn't have an extremely safe place where to hide the crystal but, if everything went according to plan, I wouldn't need to hide it for long. As a matter of fact, I would only need to hide it until tomorrow. Pulling my boots off, I placed them at the back, obscured from view by a couple of dresses. Seriously, who would think to look there? Not anyone from this world, I hoped.

Satisfied that the necklace wasn't about to be stolen, I changed into my pajamas and jumped into bed, pulling the duvet tightly over me before turning off the light on the nightstand and falling asleep, tired of thinking of the things to come.

The next morning, I woke up refreshed. It had been a while since I had that fitful a rest. Maybe, it was because I had achieved one of my goals, taking some weight off my shoulders in the process. After stretching, I went through my morning routine, promising myself I would start exercising after class since I quit cheerleading and needed to stay fit somehow. Once done, I took the keys from the counter and gave Elena a ride to school; Jeremy had left already, if he had even gotten home yesterday. I needed to have a talk with the kid, he couldn't continue like that.

If I had thought school would be any better, I thought wrong. I was ready to fall asleep in the middle of class. Why did I have to be back in high school? It was hell.

"What are you going to wear tonight?" Caroline asked during lunchtime.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing right now?" I frowned at her.

To say she looked close to having a seizure was an understatement, "You're not wearing that!"

Blinking, I glanced down at my outfit. I was wearing skinny jeans, a black long sleeved V-necked shirt, black combat boots, and a black leather jacket, "Why not?" I was offended. How dare she say my Damon-inspired outfit was anything less than perfect?

"You're wearing all black! No color whatsoever," She pointed out, as if that should've been obvious.

I mean, it was obvious I was wearing dark colors, I picked the clothes after all, "So? I like it,"

"Just let her be, Caroline," Bonnie interceded on my behalf, probably realizing the conversation was about to develop into a full-fledge argument.

That was that.

Finally, the last bell sounded, indicating the end of class. Thank God, I was about to go crazy. Speed walking to the car, I got in and managed to keep to the speed limit within the school grounds before hitting the road and speeding off. Elena had gotten a ride from Bonnie, so I didn't have to wait for her and Jeremy said he was going to the Grill again today. Seriously, what was I supposed to do about him? I didn't like him the way he was now at all and couldn't wait until he knew all about the supernatural—

Wait, I could tell him.

No, no. He's just a kid, I couldn't just dump all of this on him. Maybe not, but he was going to learn about it. Actually, better he learnt it from me, his sister, than from a second or third party; otherwise, it would only make him lose any kind of trust he had in me. If he even trusted me to begin with. Now that I was on the topic, though, I should probably do something to keep Jenna out of harm's way. She would have to know about the vampires, too; otherwise, she would just invite everyone in the house not knowing she was letting supernatural creatures that should only exist in books and movies in.

Turning off the engine once I got to my destination, I got out of the car and walked up the steps to the front door of the two-story house. Taking a deep breath to calm my overexcited nerves, I knocked on the door, the knot in my stomach becoming worse. What was I doing? The witch was going to kill me just for suggesting such a thing to her. Come on, Gilbert, she's the only one who can keep the crystal safe. You already have the no, you're just going for the yes, I pep talked to myself while waiting for the owner of the house to open the door.

After what felt like centuries, the front door was pulled open revealing Sheila Bennett, Bonnie's grandmother.

"Hi, Mrs. Bennet," Oh hell, my voice sounded way too high, "My name is Madeline Gilbert, I'm Bonnie's friend," I managed after clearing my throat, extending my hand.

She just looked at my hand of a second before her eyes returned to mine, boring holes into my soul, unnerving me. Letting my hand fall to my side, I decided to go straight to the point after swallowing hard the bile that threatened to come out.

"You might be wondering what I'm doing here," I started, reaching into the front pocket of my jeans, "I have something that belongs to you," Saying this, I pulled out Emily's necklace, showing it to her.

Sheila's eyes became as wide as saucers, "Where did you get this?" Her wrinkled hand came up to take it, but I held it away, "What do you want?" Her voice had a hard edge now; she was suspicious of me, I could feel it.

"There's a vampire in town" There was no reason for me to lie. Her eyes became impossible wide, "who wants to use its power to open the tomb under the ruins of the church, where a lot of vampires are. I know this talisman belonged to Emily Bennett, a witch like you, and it has her power in it. I need you to give it to Bonnie."

"Why would you want me to give my ancestor's talisman to Bonnie?" She asked, suspicious and I could feel the change in the air around us, putting my already fried nerves on edge.

Taking a deep breath, I met her gaze, willing her to believe me, "What I'm going to say might sound nuts, but I need you to hear me out. I don't know how or why it happened, but I'm not really Madeline Gilbert. At least, not the one that is supposed to live in this body. My name is Madeline though, just not Gilbert. I'm from another world and I need help. I need to know if there is anything I can do to give this body back to Madeline Gilbert."

Sheila was silent. I didn't know if she believed me or not, but I found it encouraging that she hadn't blasted me away with her powers; her eyes, however, were studying me as if I was a newly discovered species.

"How can I know what you are telling me is the truth?"

I extended my hand again, "I know Bonnie will need you when she starts to believe she really is a witch. I can also offer to give you both the crystal and Emily's Grimoire,"

She scoffed, "No one knows where it is. It has been lost for generations,"

My hand never wavered, "I can bring it to you, if you would help me,"

Giving me one final glance over, Bonnie's grandmother slowly reached to grab my hand in hers, closing her eyes upon contact. I didn't feel any difference, just a small chill running down my spine that was easily ignored. A few seconds later, Sheila's eyes opened, making contact with mine again.

"We have much to discuss, you and I," She said, stepping back into the house, making room for me to enter, which I did, my heart soaring in my chest. With the witch on my side, things would be going even smoother than before and, just maybe, she might be able to tell me what happened with Madeline's and my soul.

The talk with Sheila lasted a few hours. I explained to her everything I knew would happen involving the opening of the tomb. She believed everything I said after giving her the necklace and just had a few questions about her and Bonnie's involvement and safety.

We agreed on meeting again later on to give her Emily's Grimoire (which I still had no idea about how I was going to get. I could wait until canon and explained that to her, which she agreed to since I couldn't get it before everyone else knew of its existence), seeing as they were needed for the spell and she gave me vervain I requested from her before leaving (come on, she's a witch, she had to have some handy).

In the car, I put a little of the it in my jean's pocket, leaving the rest untouched to give to Aunt Jenna, Jeremy, and Elena. I knew Stefan was going to give her a locket full of vervain, but I could never be too careful, especially with Damon about to know I had his precious crystal.

It was late already and I wasn't sure if the party was still going, so I took my phone out and realized I had a bunch of missed calls from Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy, whom I dialed back immediately, putting the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Jer, what's up? Having fun?" I said, trying to sound upbeat.

"Vicki was attacked by an animal," The kid sounded like he was about to cry, breaking my heart. Over the past few days I had known him, I had grown fond of my little brother, for as much of a pain as he currently was.

"Oh, Jer, I'm so sorry," Not really. Bitch had to stop playing around with my family. No, I mentally slapped myself, neither Matt nor Jeremy deserved the heartbreak, "Is she going to be okay? Do you need a ride?"

"I don't know," He mumbled, "Elena's here and she called Aunt Jenna to pick us up,"

"Okay, I'll see you at home soon then," If I survive this encounter, I clarified in my head.

Ended the call with him, I called Bonnie, who picked up at the third ring, "Hey, Bon-Bon, where are you at?"

"Maddie," Uh-oh, she sounded exasperated, "I'm at the Grill with Caroline trying to sober her up,"

"Okay, I'll be there soon then," I cut the call again and focused on making it to the girls before Damon could ensnare the blond cheerleader.

Striding through the doors with purpose, I quickly scanned the crowd, locating my two friends seating on a booth. I exhaled a relieved sigh, thank God they were still there and in one piece.

"Hey, Care, Bon-Bon," I greeted, sliding next to Caroline, "How was the party?"

"Oh my God, Madeline Gilbert," Caroline screeched next to my ear. Sitting next to her wasn't the best idea I had had all day, my poor ears would end up bleeding before the night was out, I was sure of it, "where have you been? You were supposed to go to the party. Do you know how many times we called you? Just what did you have to do that was so urgent that you missed the party?"

"Why didn't you go?" This time it was Bonnie demanding an explanation, "We waited there for you to show up and you never did,"

I cringed, hating having them gang up on me, "Sorry, I didn't realize it was so late already,"

"Is that your excuse?" Caroline demanded, "You weren't there when Stefan rejected me. Oh my God, it was so awful! Why do they always go for Elena?" Oh, so I came during this part. Good to know.

"Because they have no taste whatsoever, Care. They don't see the amazing woman you are underneath the though exterior," I said, earning a look from our witch friend.

However, the blond didn't seem to hear anything I said, still wallowing in self-pity, "I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And... Elena always says the right thing. She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything. And I try so hard, and... I'm never the one," Well, I wasn't saying anything to that.

Bonnie, on the other hand, tried to make her understand, "It's not a competition, Caroline,"

"Yeah, it is," Was the blond's response.

Uncomfortable silence fell as neither of us had anything to say to that statement. The last thing I wanted was to be there at that moment, but my need to save Caroline from Damon's abuse prevented me from leaving. Talking about the vampire, I spied him from the corner of my eye sitting alone at the bar, a glass of Bourbon in hand.

He looked good, I had to give him that. Ever since the show was announced, I had always had a crush on him, but that was before I was sucked into this reality. Here, I couldn't let my guard down around him, especially because he hadn't even turned his emotions on.

"Why don't I drive you guys home?" I spoke up, wanting to take the girls as far away as possible as soon as possible.

Bonnie gave me a look, "We need to wait for Caroline to sober up."

"That's no problem," I said, pulling my phone from my pocket, "I'll just call Liz and tell her Caroline is staying over at my place. Easy-peasy," After a futile search for the Sheriff's number, I gave Caroline a look, "Can I have your mom's number?"

She recited it from memory.

"I'm going to use the restroom while you do that," Bonnie said, standing, "I'll be back."

Nodding at her, I waited until Liz picked up and quickly asked if her daughter could spend the night. Thankfully, she didn't have a problem, so Caroline and I were left to our own devices.

"Guess who can spend the night and not worry about her mom knowing she drank?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, putting my phone back in my pocket.

"Uh, me?"

I smiled, "Exactly."

Bonnie came back and I told her the news, for which she was grateful for since it meant she would be able to go home earlier than she thought she would.

Making sure to have a good grip on Caroline in case she slipped or something, we made our way to the car, not once looking back.


	3. Chapter 2

Here's the long awaited Chapter 2!

Let me know what you guys think!

I'm thinking of marking this story as M just in case.

* * *

'Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated'

Confucius

* * *

The town was lively.

People had started to arrive at the Town Square to witness the passing of the comet over Mystic Falls. Most of the kids and some of the adults were sporting face paint, couples of every ages could be seen walking or sitting together just enjoying the weather and view. I wished I could be one of them, just sit (more like be sprawled on my bed) and relax but I was stuck hanging out pamphlets with Caroline to promote the festival, which would be later today.

Two days had passed since the Back to School party and everything had been peaceful, going as it should.

"Can you believe Elena was with Stefan all night and the only thing they did was talk? Not even one kiss!" Caroline exclaimed as we walked side by side.

I let out a snort, "I can believe that. They seem to be similar in that way, I guess."

"She went to the Boarding House, but she hasn't told me what happened there," The blonde continued.

"She hasn't told me about that either," I commented. Not like I needed her to tell me she had met the older Salvatore brother.

"Come on, she probably already told Bonnie about it since they're best friends."

I hummed acknowledging that, "Probably." There was no going against that logic; Bonnie and Elena were closer after all.

"Are you coming to watch the comet? You didn't show up for the Back to School party and I'll drag you if I have to," She threatened, pointing a finger at me.

I rolled my eyes, "I promise I will. Don't worry, the Caroline brigade won't have to come out and play."

"Har, har. Very funny, Mads. I still haven't forgiven you for that."

"Oh, come on, Care! So I missed it, what's the big deal?" This was getting frustrating.

Apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say as she rounded up on me, "'What's the big deal?' You weren't there when my heart was crushed!"

I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling through my nose, "You're right. Though I must say Stefan is a major douche. How could he talk to you that way? Sure, you had a few drinks and were interested in him, but that doesn't give him the right to just crush you like that."

"Thank you," Apparently, that's what she needed to hear. With a smile on her face, we continued walking, "Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to get Stefan out of my head the way I know how to," She said, her attention focused on something.

Confused, I glanced at where she was looking and froze.

There, just behind a couple of kids, was Damon Salvatore.

He looked just as good as he had at the grill, clad all in black, though he looked positively mysterious and predatory now as he looked directly at Caroline.

How could I have been so stupid? Of course the blonde saw him more than once before he made her his mind-controlled slave. There had to be a way of salvaging the situation.

"He's cute," I managed to say. It was an accomplishment, if I say so myself. As if he heard me — let's face it, he totally did —, Damon's gaze met mine. My heart stopped as my eyes connected to his impossibly beautiful and intense ones. The last thing I saw as I tore away from the stare was the slight smirk he gave and holy cow did my heart stammer, "You don't even know him though," I said, almost sounding desperate with the need to get Caroline away from him, "he could be a serial killer from all you know."

She didn't look away from him as she answered, "And if he is, it'll be the best hour of my life."

I had to refrain myself from slapping a hand against my forehead and shaking the girl, "Really, Care?"

Giving me the rest of her pamphlets, "Watch me," And strutted towards the vampire.

However, less than halfway there, Damon suddenly disappeared, leaving Caroline confused and let down. I cheered inside, grateful he had gone.

"Maybe he's shy?" I offered. She rolled her eyes and we continued hanging out the papers.

Back in the safety of my room, I couldn't help but feel restless.

Damon was now in Caroline's radar and nothing good would come out of that. There had to be something I could do to dissuade her from pursuing him; however, nothing came to mind right this instant other than keep her far away from him. Having to wait for things to happen was certainly the worst.

Laying on my stomach on my bed, I pulled out my diary from the nightstand. Sure, it wasn't the safest place where I could've hidden it, but it wasn't like Jeremy, Elena or Jenna were interested in reading it. It wasn't like they could understand it anyway.

Anna would arrive in town in time to witness the passing of the comet. She would turn Aunt Jenna's douche of an ex-boyfriend and the cute bartender from the Grill, all because she wanted to get her mother, Pearl, out of the tomb. Oh, and let's not forget she wanted to use Jeremy as a blood bag, though she ended up falling for him at the end of the day.

If I had anything to say about it, she would not get close to my baby brother this time around, and I had something to say about it.

Now, was I going to let her get Pearl out of the tomb? Why not? I didn't see any repercussions in that. As a matter of fact, we kind of needed her since she has the missing piece of the Gilbert Artifact, which not only affected vampires but werewolves too. Now, I didn't watch that episode (to be sincere, there are a lot of episodes that I didn't watch), but I read about how it affected Richard Lockwood, alerting the Council that there was something supernatural going on with him.

Idly, I wondered if it worked on witches too, but discarded that idea instantly. Emily Bennett's magic was what made that thing work; there was no way she made something that could potentially get her killed.

Now, the thing that worried me the most was my lack of knowledge on what would come after a certain point. I only knew so much about the Vampire Diaries from reading about it and so was the case The Originals. For example, I knew about the witches' oppression in New Orleans, but not how it was fixed, if it even was. Good thing I knew more about the Vampire Diaries and wouldn't have to deal with that can of worms; I leave that in the capable hands of the original family, thank you very much.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing, jolting me out of my thoughts. After checking the caller ID, I quickly answered.

"'Sup?"

"Hey, where are you?" Annoyance was clear in Elena's voice, "The festival started already. We're waiting for you."

"Already?" Looking at the alarm clock on my nightstand, I noticed that yes, a few hours had indeed passed. How? I had no idea. I didn't think I had spent that much time going over my 'diary'. Perplex, I told my sister I would be there soon.

After freshening up my makeup, I made my way out of the house and into Elena's car, who had taken a ride with Bonnie. Rob Thomas' voice singing 'Her Diamonds' played from the speakers as soon as the car was turned on. It made me stop my movements and listen to the lyrics. My past mom had been a big fan of Rob Thomas, specially of the song 'Smooth' with Santana. Carefully dabbing away the tears the threatened to fall from the corners of my eyes, I pulled onto the street, lowly humming the lyrics and kept my focus on the road due to all the people walking to the Town Square.

It took me forever to find a parking spot that was not miles away. If I had thought that it was full earlier, it was definitely packed now; there was no way to walk without bumping into someone.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally spotted Elena. However, she wasn't alone. Stefan was with her, using her candle to light his.

It felt weird to go up to them and invade their moment, so I joined Matt, Caroline, and Tyler who weren't that far away.

"Hey Mads, didn't think you'd show up," Tyler pushed up from where he was sitting to give me a one-armed hug.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't notice the time," I explained shrugging, pulling away from him to say hi to the others.

"That's so like you, Gilbert," Caroline rolled her eyes before she, too, moved in for a hug.

"So, do you know what's going on with Elena and the new guy?"

I met Matt's gaze before my focus moved to the two he mentioned who just seemed to be talking, Stefan leaning towards my sister from behind, "Hm, I'd say there's some kind of attraction there," I didn't want to give Matt false hope that he could get back with Elena.

Caroline looked at me as if I'd lost my mind, "'You'd say'?"

I shrugged, "It's none of my business."

"Are you kidding me? Of course it is. She's your twin for Christ's sake."

Surprisingly, it was the future wolf who came to my rescue, "Leave her alone, Caroline. Just because they're related doesn't mean they have to know everything that goes on with each other."

It didn't do much to deter her, though, "Ugh, stay out of it, Lockwood," And turned back to me with raised eyebrows, "So, if you were seeing someone you wouldn't tell her?"

I blinked, "What does that have to do with Elena seeing Stefan?"

She rolled her eyes again, "Don't make me pull it out of you, Madeline Gilbert. Would you tell Elena, or me for that matter, if you were seeing someone?"

"Since I'm not seeing anyone, that point is moot," Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tyler relax.

"I swear, Mads, you're being deliberately annoying," Caroline gave up. The three of us laughed at her frustrated expression.

With a smile still on my face, I told them, "If I ever get into a relationship, you guys will be the first ones to know. Plus, I have to keep Tyler on standby if I ever need their face rearranged."

Matt laughed at that, while Caroline just huffed in exasperation. Tyler, however, just kept his dark, chocolate brown eyes locked on mine as if searching for something. It seemed like he found what he was looking for because he turned to talk to Matt.

"Hey, there you are! I've been looking for you," Elena said, joining our little group with Bonnie trailing behind her.

I gave her a hug, "Hey, Elena. Sorry, I lost track of time and met these people," I motioned to the three behind me, "Hey Bonnie, how's it going?"

"Fine," The younger girl said with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. She seemed… troubled.

"We're gonna go to the grill, if you guys want to come," Matt suddenly said.

"Sure," Was the unanimous decision.

Fighting the crowd, each of us went in our separate cars — some catching a ride if they had walked—, Tyler catching a ride with me, surprisingly.

We rode in silence for a few minutes. It was an awkward kind of quiet, however.

I couldn't take it anymore and couldn't comprehend what exactly happened for our easy friendship to become this uncomfortable.

"What's going on with you?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

He didn't answer right away, letting me wallow in my confusion.

After a moment, he finally deigned to talk, "You'll seriously tell me if you get together with someone?"

I frowned. Was that what was worrying him? "Of course. You're my best friend, Ty. You'd be the first one to know if that ever happens," And I seriously doubted it would happen. Unless I was very far away from Mystic Falls, I wasn't risking falling for someone in case they ended up dead and that was a serious concern for me.

He let out a sigh, "Okay, good."

The rest of the ride was easier. Tyler spent most of it criticizing my music and changing the radio station so often it drove me to the point of smacking his hand away whenever it came close to the buttons, him laughing each time. It continued like this until we parked, turned off the car, and got out.

"I missed you."

That took me by surprise, "What?" I said stupidly, blinking huge eyes at the guy, who had already moved to stand by my side of the car.

Tyler just held my stare, "When you were in the comma, I missed you."

My heart bleed, knowing exactly what he went through, thinking that he might have lost me and reminding me of what — rather who— I was keeping locked in the dark recess of my mind.

"Oh, Tyler," I hugged him tightly, pushing onto my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck, "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere," I hoped.

We stayed like that for a few moments, leeching each other's warmth before letting go. As we walked, Tyler took hold of my hand and gently squeezed it but didn't let go. It made me realize how warm and huge it was compared to my smaller one.

The Grill was filled with people. I really shouldn't have been surprised; it was, after all, the place to go.

Thankfully, the others had arrived before us and already had a table, so we didn't have to wait to be seated. Letting go of Tyler's hand, I took the seat on Elena's right while he took the one next to me. Across from us, Caroline was giving me a look.

"What?" I mouthed to her.

As subtly as she could, she motioned in Tyler's direction with her eyes and a jerk from her head.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes so far back they would be logged in the back of my skull. Trust Caroline to turn everything into what it wasn't, "Friend," I mouthed.

She rolled her eyes in a way it had me worrying they _would_ stay in the back of her head and made a face.

A waitress came by and we soon had our drinks and food in front of us.

"Are you going to eat all of that?" Matt asked me, clearly not believing it as he eyed the burger and fries on my plate that could perfectly well feed a small family.

I raised an eyebrow, "Are you doubting my appetite, Donovan?" And, to make a point, ate a fry.

"Never said that," He laughed, taking a bit out of his own burger.

It was nice. There was nothing to worry about as we talked and hung out. No vampire or werewolf or even hybrid problem; I almost felt normal interacting with them.

"Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?" Jeremy interrupted. And there went the good mood.

Beside me, Tyler pipped, "You're her stalker. You tell us."

"I can't find her," Jeremy stressed, not in the mood to play around.

"Wait, what do you mean you can't find her?" I interrupted whatever it was the future werewolf was about to say, mentally cursing myself. I had been so stuck up on how to keep Caroline away from Damon and my little brother safe from Anna's claws that I had completely forgotten about the older Donovan.

He made an annoyed noise, but answered, "I don't know where she is and she's not picking up her phone."

That was not good. If I remembered correctly, then Damon had gotten to her. Again.

My heart was beating hard against my ribs as I thought about the implications of that.

Vicki would have to go to the hospital and Stefan would have to go there to make her forget about the 'vampire' attack, but Damon would get to her again and eventually turn her.

Standing, I caught my friends' eyes, cutting off what they were saying, "I'll go look for her," Because what else could I do in this situation? It beat staying here and waiting for news.

"I'll go with you," Tyler announced, standing.

"No!" He looked at me as if I slapped him, "It'll be faster if we split up and look for her," Even though I tried to soften the blow, I could see it in his eyes it had hurt him; however, in true Lockwood fashion, he shrugged it off as if it didn't matter.

Alongside us, Matt also made his way out of the Grill, "Let me know if you find her," He told us before dashing off.

"Mads," I looked at Tyler, who was frowning, "Be careful."

A soft smile pulled at my lips, "Of course." And with that we went our separate ways.

I didn't look for Vicki.

Stefan would get her back to the Grill, so there was no point. Instead, I drove around for a bit until Matt called saying they found his sister and she was fine.

Elena and Jenna were in the house when I got there, in Jeremy's room.

"Hey." I called to them, leaning on the doorframe.

"Hey, Maddie." Jenna greeted, turning where she sat on Jeremy's bed. "How was the festival?"

I shrugged. "It was okay. A bunch of people, though."

Elena just stood up from the chair and with a "I'll be back later" left the two of us alone.

Confused, I asked my aunt, "Where is she going?"

"Didn't say, just that she had to 'go do something'." Was the answer I got.

It took a second, but my brain provided what she was going to do and what I should have been doing.

Borrowing my sister's line, I threw over my shoulder "I gotta go do something!" At the perplex Jenna.

Racing out of the house like the hounds of hell were coming after me, I got into the car and drove out of there as fast as I could.

Getting my phone out of my back pocket, I dialed Caroline. A litany falling from my lips like a prayer. "Pick up. C'mon, pick up, Caroline."

It sent me straight to voicemail and my heart lodged itself in my throat.

This couldn't be happening. I was supposed to be looking after her, how the heck had I forgotten about it?

Dialing another number, Bonnie picked up after the third ring.

"Hey, Bonnie! Are you still at the Grill?"

"No, I left already. Why? Is something wrong?" She sounded more alert at the end.

"Nope. Everything is fine." Not. "Do you know if Caroline already left?"

"She probably did already."

"Okay, thanks. Goodnight!" Without giving her a chance to reply or ask anything else, I ended the call and made an — definitely illegal— U-turn, thanking God there wasn't a soul on the street.

My heartbeat was erratic when I made it to Caroline's home, knocking on the door like a lunatic.

"WHAT?!" Caroline snapped at me once she wrenched open the door.

Without answering, I took hold of one of her wrists and pulled her with me to the still on car, not registering what she was wearing — rather, what she wasn't.

"What the hell, Madeline?! What are you doing?!" She screeched behind me, trying to free herself.

"Just get in the car!" There really wasn't any time to explain.

However, before we could make it to it, a figure blurred into existence in front of us, making me stop in my tracks.

Right there was Damon Salvatore wearing nothing but his jeans.

If my heart was ready to jump out of my chest before, it suddenly stopped working altogether.

Cocking his head to the side with his hands crossed over his chest, he said, "Well, well, what do we have here? Did you come to join the party?"

At his gaze, I took a step back. It was a predator looking at his next meal. "N-no."

"Madeline, would you let me go?!" Caroline demanded behind me, clawing at my hand. "Can't you see I'm with him?"

 _Can I see? Can I see?_ Yes, I could clearly see I had interrupted them.

With a small smirk on his face, Damon turned to Caroline, "Restrain her."

Like a robot following orders, the blonde did just that. With her free hand, she took hold of my other one, pulling both arms behind me, even though I had let go of her and planned to make a run for it.

"Caroline! Let me go!" I pleaded desperately, trying to break free of her hold. What the hell? She shouldn't have so much strength.

The vampire was forgotten until he took hold of my chin with his fingers. I froze at the contact. This was the worst situation I could've ever found myself in.

"The three of us are going to have some fun." He whispered in a tone that set off the alarms in my brain that hadn't already been warning me of the danger.

The last coherent though I had before his mouth descended on my neck, teeth piercing the delicate skin on my neck, was, _Help_.


End file.
